The Dog Days of Summer
by Bassclefgirl
Summary: Marshall finds himself with a bottle of vampire sunscreen and a hot summer day. What happens when he spends his beach day with his favorite human? Will he see a new side of her? Or will they both remain friends in the dog days of summer? FIOLEE
1. Chapter 1

**Hey you guys this is the first story I've posted in a while. Yeah… sorry to all my portal followers, I fell in love with Adventure Time and now EVERYTHING in my life revolves around it. But I'll stop blabbering now and let you read because this is way better than my life story. **

A loud hiss erupted from my mouth, causing the blonde in front of me to startle and scream.

She whirled around and yelled, "Marshall Lee Abadeer, you butt! You scared me!" I snickered, floating around the highly-popular adventuress.

"That was the idea, Fi-oh." I said, poking her in the stomach. She grunted angrily and slapped my hand away.

"Why are you here?"

I smiled as the reason for my visit came back to mind. "I want to try something very special that a friend made for me, and I want you to be there when I do."

Fionna raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is it a new kind of drink? I'm not nursing your hangover again."

I shook my head, chuckling at the memory of our last incident, and said, "Actually, it's a type of vampire sunscreen." Her eyebrows scrunched together, but then realization hit her and she gasped.

"You mean… you could go out in the sun?" I nodded, and she squealed with delight, throwing herself into my arms. "This is going to be so much fun!" I smiled at her enthusiasm, then pushed her away.

"Yeah…" I said, "But you need to change." She looked down at her normal adventuring attire.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" She asked curiously.

I shrugged. "Nothing… if you don't mind getting soaked through." Her eyes lit up.

"You mean…?" I smiled back at her.

"We're going to the beach."

About ten minutes later Fionna hopped down the stairs in a blue and white striped bikini, concealed by a dark-blue cover-up. She had sunglasses on top of her head and flip-flops in her hands, practically jumping with excitement. I chuckled, grabbing the towels she was about to put in her beach bag.

"Hey!" She protested. "Give them back!" Her little arms could only reach so far, though, and I floated out of their reach, holding the towels there tantalizingly.

"What's going on in here?" Cake asked, finally waking form her cat nap upstairs.

"We're going to the beach." We said in unison.

The cat hissed, jerking back in revulsion. "I don't know how you have fun there. It's all water and messy sand…" She shuddered, and Fionna laughed.

"Well, we'll be back later. Love you, Cake." The girls hugged and Cake smiled.

"Love you too, baby. Don't get sunburned." Fionna stuffed the bottle of sunscreen, her mp3 player, a bottle of water, and a container of strawberries into her bag.

"Okay, now give me the towels." I begrudgingly handed them over and wrapped an arm around her waist, starting to get excited about the feel of the sun.

"Let's go." I said hastily, and she giggled as we went downstairs. I took the little vial of medicine out of my pocket, gulping it down. "This is good for twelve hours. Plenty of time." I checked the clock. It read ten in the morning. By the time it wore off the sun would have long gone down. "Let's test this puppy."

Fionna opened the door and stepped out into the sun, her flip-flops slapping the earth. I followed, but hesitated in the door's shadow. Would it really work? Could it be that simple? Fionna turned when she didn't hear my footsteps.

"Are you coming?" She asked, and I saw how her hair, missing the bunny hat and instead put up in a messy bun, shined in the sun. She was very pretty, especially in the dress. It suited her, this bright, summery look.

"Yes." I said, sucking in a breath and trying to work up my courage. Finally, closing my eyes, I stepped outside. I expected the worst; the pain, the blisters.

But nothing happened.

"Marsh?" I opened my eyes and relaxed my muscles, feeling the heat of the sun on them.

"It… it worked!" I cheered, picking her up in a hug. I fist-pumped the air, floating around and enjoying the feel, the warmth, the… light! "Come on! I hear the beach calling my name!" I cried, picking her up bridle style and flying through the air towards the coast.

"I've never flown in the daylight." Fionna said breathlessly, and I looked around. It really was beautiful, all the flora and fauna of the earth really standing out form up here. Together, it was like a mass, all strung together to make one big beautiful… thing. We laughed together as we reached the beach. The pristine white sand slammed into the green foliage of the forest. It was a natural thing, but looked unnatural too. The waves rolled in and out, a salty, briny breeze floating lazily around the place. It was bright and refreshing compared to the dank, musty smell of my cave. I knew this was going to be the best day of my life.

Fionna spread a large enough blanket for two on the ground, looking up at me.

"Grab some rocks from the edge of the beach. Four of them. Make sure they're big and heavy." I was about to question, but she jokingly shooed me away to do the task. I came back with the requested materials, and she put one on each corner of the blanket to keep it from flying away in the blusterous breeze.

"Good. Now I can get some sun." She kicked off her flip-flops and took off the dress, sitting down on the blanket. Even though she was covered, I still blushed. Seeing Fionna in anything less than a t-shirt was… unnatural. But it wasn't unwelcome. I sat down next to her as she rolled onto her stomach.

"Put sunscreen on my back."

I did a double-take at her words. "…Me?" I asked stupidly. Way to go, Marshall, master of comebacks.

"You're the only person on the beach, Marshall; yes. I can't reach back there." She handed me the bottle out of her bag and undid the back strap of her bikini. I swallowed back the urge to bolt, but my hands were shaking violently.

"O-Oh…kay." I stammered, pouring out the lotion and rubbing it on her shoulders. Her skin was soft and warm; it felt good. I rubbed in the rest, then paused on her lower back.

"Should I do this?" I asked.

She shrugged. "We're bros, Marshall; bros help bros." I nodded, but didn't really think that applied here. I wasn't arguing, though. I finished rubbing in the lotion and lay down next to her on my stomach, feeling the sun on my skin. It was a welcome feeling.

"Thanks, Marshy." She said, smiling, and pulled her mp3 player out of her bag. Putting one of the earbuds in her ear, she handed me the other. We quickly lapsed into silence, enjoying the music, the waves, and especially the sun.

After about half an hour Fi poked my neck and I giggled, unfortunately ticklish there.

She laughed. "I didn't know you were ticklish." I grumbled softly, but she shrugged. "Will you tie my bikini strap? I'm having a hard time managing it backwards."

I laughed now. "How did you ever manage without me here?" I asked arrogantly, and she rolled her eyes.

"Usually I have Cake and she does this stuff for me. I know she hates coming here, but I usually force her to. Either that or PG comes with me."

Suddenly I saw red. _"That pink wad touches you?!"_ I said through my teeth. She didn't notice the fury.

"Yeah, but we're bros, and he knows that. At least I think he knows that…" She shrugged it off, and I swallowed my anger, telling myself to enjoy the day with her and not worry about PG. At least until later, when I could silently come into his castle and… never mind. I would figure things out later.

"Marsh?" I looked down, realizing I had been scowling.

"Yeah?" I asked back, and she replied, "Can you tie me now?" I smiled sheepishly and leaned over, my fingers tracing over her skin. It was warm now, and slightly damp where she'd sweated in the sun. To me that wasn't a turn-off. No, it showed that she worked, and that she could take care of herself. I never minded if she came to my door sweaty after a day of adventuring. It was nice to finally meet a real girl, one that didn't mind getting sweaty and dirty and smelly. As I tied her strap around her back a familiar voice, the one I planned on strangling later, said, "Hey you guys!

**Pretty good, huh? No? Alright. [Insert Forever Alone Meme Here] Please review and favorite and everything because honestly I feel like this might be terrible. Tanks! :I**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yeah, that's right! Two uploads in one day! I think that balances out the fact that this story might suck… or maybe it makes it worse. But still… I probably won't post this frequently any more, maybe once every day or two, but that just means you'll have to wait. HAHAHA- never mind. You don't even care, probably. Read on.**

I wasn't done, but Fionna jerked up and I lost my grip.

"Hey P-" She squeaked, pulling her bikini back around her. Her face turned red as she shot me a glare. I tried to say it wasn't my fault, but Gumball chuckled and helped her up one-handed.

"Need some help?" She turned, and his fingers brushed over her skin as he tied the strap securely and smiled at her. I noticed how his fingers lingered there, making her blush. She didn't look away from him for the longest time, but I finally coughed a little and they broke their stare-down.

"So…" I muttered, standing.

"I see the potion is working well." Gumball said, smiling, and Fi gawked.

"You mean… _he's_ the 'friend' that gave it to you? You guys are _friends_?"

I blushed awkwardly. "Well… I wouldn't say he's a friend… I mean… we're… _acquaintances_..." I stammered, and Fionna smirked at me. "Just drop it!"

I didn't mean for it to come out that harshly, but she flinched at my voice.

"Sorry." She mumbled, and I sighed.

"Okay, yes, he is my friend." Gumball smiled, but I added, "But I swear to god if he touches you again I'll smack him upside the head so hard you won't know what to do with him." Gumball blushed furiously, looking at her, and she tried to stammer out an explanation, but her tongue was tied.

"Um… I'll see you later, Fi." He finally said, cutting her off, and she tried to reach out to him, but thought better of it.

When he was gone Fionna whirled on me.

"What the heck, man?!" I looked up at her innocently.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "I thought you and him were bros. It shouldn't faze you that much." I knew I had hit home. But I didn't expect to hit it so hard. She sat down on the blanket and buried her face in her hands.

"Yes, okay? Yes. I have a crush on him. I like him a lot. And you saying stuff like that is _not_ helping!" She wailed, her voice cracking. I felt like a jerk now. But another part of me almost… _liked_ the idea that he didn't like her anymore. But what was I saying? That would be mean; Fionna deserved to find love. The pink prince, on the other hand, did not. And if he won her heart… well, that just couldn't happen. I had to do something. He did not, under any circumstances, deserve her.

"I think I'm going to go home, Marshall." She mumbled, but I grabbed her hand.

"Please don't! I'm sorry I said anything." I pleaded with her. "Please, I don't want to ruin today."

She stood there, contemplating whether or not to go. Finally, with an exaggerated groan, she flopped back down next to me and put in her earbud.

"It's time to tan my front, anyway." She huffed. "I do way too much for you."

I chuckled. "Yes, yes you do. But that's why we're buds." She said nothing, a playful scowl on her face as she rubbed sunscreen on her arms, then started on her stomach.

"You think… you could talk to him?" She finally asked, and I looked over.

"What do you mean?" I asked back.

"I mean… could you tell him you were joking?"

"I wasn't joking."

My tone was flat, serious. She fell silent, and when I looked over she had her head turned away. I felt bad again, but I wasn't joking. I would hurt him if he touched her. That didn't go for just him; that went for anyone who touched Fionna. She was _mine_.

Whoa… where did _that_ come from? I didn't like Fi, and she certainly wasn't mine. And she definitely didn't like me. No, that was plain obvious. She was too obsessed with that pansy Gumball. I audibly sighed, and she looked over at me.

"You don't have a right to sigh. I do." She said grumpily, and I looked over at her and glared.

"If you knew the crap I was in, you'd let me sigh." She recoiled at my harsh tone, and looked away just as our favorite song came on her mp3 player. I listened to the soft piano, watching a fluffy cloud. Suddenly Fi started singing softly, and I actually smiled. She had such a pretty voice.

_The sun is filling up the room, and I can hear you dreaming.__  
Do you feel the way I do? Right now.  
I wish we would just give up, 'cause the best part is falling.  
Call it anything but love._

I started to sing with her, feeling myself, both of us really, get lost in the music.

_And I will make sure to keep my distance.  
Say I love you when you're not listening.__  
And how long can we keep this up, up, up?_

I stopped, watching her lips move as she sang. The smile on her face was contagious.__

Please don't stand so close to me; I'm having trouble breathing._  
I'm afraid of what you'll see right now.  
I give you everything I am,_

Her voice could make even the darkest, most evil monster sing. So I did.

_All my broken heartbeats, until I know you'll understand.  
And I will make sure to keep my distance.  
Say I love you when you're not listening.  
And how long can we keep this up, up, up?_

And I keep waiting for you to take me.  
You keep waiting to save what we have.

So I'll make sure to keep my distance._  
Say I love you when you're not listening.  
And how long can we keep this up, up, up?_

Make sure to keep my distance._  
Say I love you when you're not listening!  
How long 'till we call this love, love, love?_

I looked over at her, into those beautiful blue eyes that stared back so fearlessly. I wondered how a human like her could befriend a monster like me.

"I'll talk to him." I said. Wait, no! I wasn't supposed to back down! Darn those beautiful eyes! They were so mesmerizing. Wait… did I just call her beautiful. Then it hit me. _Beautiful. She was beautiful_.

And I was in love with her.

My mind raced, and I wondered if she could hear my thoughts, if she knew how much they'd changed. But she seemed to see no difference, or at least she didn't react to it.

"Why do you like him so much?" I blurted out, and she didn't look away.

"He's just really sweet, no pun intended, and he's handsome and smart. I like that we're opposites. It's like we complete each other." She explained. I couldn't argue with that. They were like opposites. And they did complete each other. Ugh!

"Well… so if a guy came into your life who was handsome and smart and sweet, you might feel the same way about him?" She stared at me.

"There are a lot of variables there, Marshall."

"Yeah, I know."

"What does this guy look like?" She asked, sitting up, and I looked away.

"He… is tall… probably about a head taller than you. And he has black hair… and red eyes…" I trailed off, too embarrassed to look at her. Her hand reached out and touched my wrist.

"…Marshall?" She asked, and I stood, still not looking at her as I pulled my t-shirt back on.

"I'll… see you." I said quickly before bolting into the forest. I was such an idiot! How could I have admitted that? But then again, how could I not have?

**DRAMA BOMB! PM me and vote whether or not she should be all for dating Marshy-poo. Until I get five votes, I'm not posting anymore. But if it's been like a month and I haven't I probably will post more because I'm a wuss. [Insert Another Forever Alone Meme] Tanks! :I**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey you guys here's chapter 3 I hope you like it! Thank you so much my first four reviews: kiwisrock2468, Jenna, fire-ice-love, and Tiffany! You make me feel so good about my stories! Please tell me if you like it and if anything's wrong! Read on.**

I walked into the cave, but stopped. It was only noon, and the day was still light and wonderful, even if it was hot. I couldn't go inside… but I didn't want to risk seeing her, hearing the rejection I knew was coming. So I decided to head off through the forest, get as far away as possible, and just enjoy some more sunshine.

The sun was at its fullest extent, bright and shining and beating down on everything, when I got to the little fisherman's village on the south end of Aaa. To some it would be a good time to go inside and enjoy the coolness, but to me it was a welcome change from the crippling cold of darkness. I sat on the beach, watching the boats come in and out across the waves.

After a while I closed my eyes and relaxed in the sand, smiling. Maybe I could just put her out of my mind for now. But with the sun on my face came the memories of all the days spent with her, and I found myself scowling again. What would she say if I came back? Would she be flattered? Angry? I wished I could take it back. I didn't want to hear her rejection. As I was mulling over whether or not to bury myself in the sand, I heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, Marshall!" It cried, and I looked up, surprised. Walking towards me with the saunter I could never forget was one of my old band mates, a wizard named…

"Joey! It's been a long time, man!" I said, propping myself up on my elbows.

"Certainly has. Five hundred years enough time for you to think about coming back to the band?" He asked, sitting down next to me.

"You know I said I wasn't. Not with Peter gone and Dylan on drugs. It wasn't even a band anymore; it was an excuse to go drinking every night." I replied, and we both chuckled at the memory.

"Well, what are you doing here? And why on earth are you in the sun?" I smiled happily, looking up at the sky.

"I'm enjoying today." I explained. "My friend made me a potion so I'd be able to go out in the sun; it might be hot, but I'm loving every second." A particularly rebellious wave rolled in and washed over my legs, and I picked up a seashell that had rolled in with it. "Isn't this great?"

Joey shrugged. "I don't know, man. I don't know how being a vampire is. I can imagine it would be nice, though. You know why I knew you were here? It's a pretty funny story."

I looked up and took the bait. "Alright, how?" I asked. Joey smiled.

"There was this blonde chick up in the main part of the village, running around like a crazy person, asking people if they'd seen you. She asked me and I was like, 'I ain't seen that crazy vampire for five hundred years!' So I came looking for ya!" He explained. My heart pumped a little faster and suddenly I was on my feet, looking around wildly.

"Do you know if she was headed this way? Oh no!" I asked frantically, and the young wizard shrugged.

"She just kept running around. Somebody might've told her, though. Why are you avoiding her? She an ex?" He asked, his eyes narrowing and a smirk plastered to his face.

"No! I just… she's my best friend and I just told her I wanted to date her and then I totally wussed out and ran away! I bet she's looking for me so she can yell." I said, groaning audibly and running my fingers through my hair. Then I heard it.

"Marshall Lee Abadeer you did _not_ just leave me on the beach by myself!" I turned slowly. The words _run like the wind_ came to mind. The little blonde walked up, still in her little blue dress. I measured whether or not she'd be able to grab me if I bolted. Could she grab me? Did I want to risk that? Oh lord…

"I'll just leave you two alone." Joey said, smirking at me as he walked down the beach. I slowly looked at Fionna, but I couldn't meet her eyes, so I just stared at her chin. This seemed like a safe enough spot.

"I'm waiting for an explanation, Marsh." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. I fidgeted uncomfortably. What was I supposed to say? I thought I had pretty much said everything I needed to.

"I… I don't know what you want me to say…" I muttered, scratching the back of my head and looking at my feet. I knew what I _wanted_ to say, but… I couldn't just outright say that, not after what I'd said earlier. It would just add fuel to the flame.

"Well, first I want an apology for leaving me like that." She said, and I mumbled a weak sorry. "Now I want you to outright say what you kept irritatingly beating around the bush about on the beach."

I looked up, this time meeting her gaze. "… I don't know if I should…" I mumbled again, and she glared at me so hard I immediately believed in spontaneous combustion. I felt like I was going to catch on fire.

Finally, under the pressure of her gaze and all the mush in me that was my heart-guts at the moment, I admitted it, "I'm… in love with you." My voice was barely audible, but I felt like I had screamed it.

"What's that? I can't hear you, Marsh. Say it again, louder this time." She said, and my face burned with embarrassment.

"I'm in love with you." I said, slightly louder. This was the worst day of my life.

"Still can't hear it, Marshall." I looked up, anger setting in. Did she _want_ me to scream it to everybody on the beach? But when I did look up she had a small smile on her face, more of a smirk than anything. What was that supposed to mean?

"I… I don't…" I stammered, but she just wrapped her arms around me tightly. The sound that came out of my throat sounded like a dying fish, and I felt stupid. What was happening? She was hugging me! She… did she..?

I pushed her away, holding her at arm's length and looking her in the eye. "What does this mean, Fi?" I asked, my head so confused I couldn't handle it. I needed her to give me a straight answer. Of course, though, we're talking about Fionna, who would rather die than do just that.

"It means I want you to give me a piggyback ride back to the tree fort." She said, giggling, but I didn't let go of her. "Okay, okay, fine. I like you a whole bunch, too, Marshall."

Everything became relatively clearer, and a whole lot happier. "I can't believe it!" I cheered, picking her up and spinning her around. A few people on the beach gave us weird looks, but I don't think she minded that much. I was too preoccupied to care. This was wonderful! She… she actually _liked_ me. She could actually be my… my_ girlfriend_… whoa…

"You… you want to go do something?" I suggested, my words mixed with disbelievingly and totally unmanly giggles. She chuckled at my excitement.

"Um… yeah, sure. But I still want my piggyback ride." I laughed, crouching down so she could get on. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and right as I stood up she pressed her lips against my cheek. I froze, closing my eyes and trying desperately to hold on to the feeling of her lips against my skin.

Almost as soon as it begun it was over, but I savored the feeling as I ran through the town, turning heads but not as many as a regular person would. The people here knew me. And they knew how ridiculous I was. Most just dealt with it. The others didn't dare say anything. I was still King of Vampires, after all.

**Yes, that was for all of you wonderful ones out there who begged for it… and the one that threatened to kill my family (I totally understand though). Anywho… hopefully chapter four tomorrow! Won't post Wednesday because I have to go get braces O_e. Lordy Jesus those people better pray I don't bite them! Tanks. :I**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey you guys I am so sorry I haven't updated! Honestly I totally forgot about it while I was playing video games and then today I was like oh crap they probably hate me now! Anyway, please enjoy chapter four, and thanks to all you who reviewed! Read on.**

I ran all the way back to the tree fort, the sun making my black hair burn. Fionna laughed as we ran through the door of the tree fort and sat down on the floor.

"Cake," She called, "we're back!"

The sassy cat yelled back, "How was the disgusting sand box?"

We chuckled and she took my hand after we'd climbed the ladder. Where her skin touched mine was like being on fire, but not feeling the pain; just the intense heat. I never wanted to let go, but I had to. If Cake saw that… no, she couldn't. She'd rip me apart. So I quickly pulled my hand away, rubbing the back of my neck uncomfortably as Cake walked in.

"It was… fun." Fionna mumbled, preoccupied by my weird display. I didn't meet her gaze, staring down at my flip-flops. Finally I decided to speak so we wouldn't look suspicious.

"We had a lot of fun and I got to be in the sun and it was epic!" I smiled enthusiastically, and Cake smiled back.

"Well, I'm glad you had fun, Marshall. Even you deserve to feel the sunshine, especially on such a nice day." She said, and I was surprised at how nice she was being to me. Didn't she hate me?

She must've seen my look. "Oh, Marshall, you're not that bad of a guy. You don't deserve my constant nagging. Unless you're being a jerk, of course, but you've been acting very… non-bad-boy lately." She explained, and I looked at Fionna for the first time since we came home. Her eyes searched mine for an answer to my odd behavior.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" I asked the little blonde, not waiting for a response as I pulled her into the weapon room.

"What was that all about?" She asked me, her voice quieter. I sighed and kissed her lips softly.

"You know I want people to know about us, but… Cake will _kill me._ I don't know if we should tell her." I explained, and she shrugged her shoulders, looking down.

"But she's my sister…" She mumbled. I tucked a loose curl of hair back into her messy bun and she looked back up. "I'll make sure she doesn't hurt you."

I smiled, wondering if that would actually work. Unfortunately she seemed to take my smile as an okay because she dragged me back into the living room and called Cake back in. Before I could protest or anything she suddenly screamed,

"Marshall and I are dating!"

Lord help me. That cat sprung on me so fast I didn't process it in time.

"Fi! Helphelphelphelp!" I shouted, screaming as Cake dug her claws into my face and chest.

"You dirty rotten no good blood-sucking sister-stealing player!" She screeched, but Fi managed to yank her off. I scrambled back in terror, hiding behind the adventuress as Cake glared at us. Fionna put her arms out protectively.

"Don't do that, Cake! He's not bad at all, you just said so yourself! And he's really kind to me and sweet and caring so you have absolutely no right to treat him like that!" She shouted, adrenaline coursing through her. She had never stood up to Cake. And now she was realizing just how terrifying it could be. They glared at each other, and I put a hand on her shoulder, hoping to make her feel like she wasn't alone. Obviously it helped, because Cake finally backed down begrudgingly.

"Fine. Do what you want, Fi. You're seventeen; I can't hold on to you forever." She muttered, and Fi jumped up and down excitedly, wrapping her arms around my neck. I chuckled, burying my face in her hair as she caught me up in her happy dance.

"I'll be watching you, though. Both of you." She said menacingly. We both stood still, but didn't let go of each other. Finally she walked out ominously and Fionna kissed my lips softly.

"Yay! You see? It wasn't that bad!" She said happily, and I motioned to the scratches all over me.

"You call this not bad?" She shrugged her shoulders, and I sighed. In the back of my mind, though, a thought was registering. Cake had said I wasn't acting like a bad boy anymore… she couldn't be right, though, could she? I always acted like that. Had Fi made me go soft? I knew the answer to that. Fionna brought out a different side of me, a kinder side. Not the arrogant, rebellious vampire I usually was. The thought made me wince. I was a wuss around her! Did I rely on her like all the other princes? That could _not_ happen. I'd just have to be more careful about how mushy I got.

I knocked on Fionna's door, my stomach churning uncomfortably. Why was I so nervous? Fi and I had been dating for three months now, and had gone on lots of dates. _But,_ I reminded myself. _This is no ordinary date. This is a ball._ That was true. It was one of PG's endless formal occasions, and Fionna desperately wanted to go, so how could I resist? She always looked so beautiful in the dresses Cake designed. But I knew tonight I'd have to be on my guard more. I couldn't act like a wuss. I had to be tough, my normal vampire self, or people would start to wonder about how evil I really was, whether or not they should really be afraid of me. If I had anything to do with it, that thought would never cross their mind. All that they would feel would be fear and nothing less.

Fi opened the door then. "Hey, Marsh." She said, and I looked up from my thoughts. Her dress was new; a soft mint green, down to her knees. It hugged her figure, but not so much that it was distasteful. Cake had standards when it came to clothing.

"You look beautiful." I whispered, pulling her close and kissing her nose. She smiled.

"Didn't your mama ever teach you personal space, Marshall?" Cake said, hopping down the ladder, and I sighed.

"Yes ma'am." Fionna took my hand, and I noticed that she looked taller. The reality hit me that she was walking in heels, and not doing a very good job.

"What's with the height? You're adorable without the risk of injury." I teased, and she sighed.

"I need to be able to walk in heels. I've put it off for a long time, but I'll be eighteen in five months and who knows when I'll need to wear them? I need to start learning now." She wobbled out of the doorway and Cake stretched herself into a car for us.

"Can you do this? I don't want you hurting yourself." I cautioned, and she nodded, letting go of my hand. I watched carefully as she took shaky steps towards the car, finally getting to the door. As she opened it, though, her heel slipped and she stumbled to the side. Immediately I was at her side, holding her up so she didn't fall. She smiled gratefully and I helped her into the car, walking around to the driver's seat. Cake started to roll and I took Fi's hand on the bench seat.

"If you need to change shoes, baby, I got some flats in my back seat." Cake offered, but Fi looked determined.

"No." She muttered. "I'm going to do this. I'm not changing." I played with her side bang, the only part of her hair that didn't get put up in an intricate bun. She smiled, relaxing against the seat as I kissed her cheek and Cake drove up to the Candy Castle.

We got out and Cake changed back into her normal self, immediately disappearing to find Lord Monichromicorn. I wrapped an arm around her waist, my hand a little low on her hip. She giggled, pulling my hand up to her waist, but I just slid it back down as we walked in. Before she could protest we were bombarded by people just waiting to find someone to talk to. A few gave me disapproving frowns. So I _could_ still pull off bad boy.

The party was in full swing by now, and I made sure to dance close and make dirty jokes like normal when people were around. What I didn't notice, though, was how angry Fionna was getting until she finally pushed me away.

"What's wrong?" I asked, grabbing her hand and pulling her back into my arms.

"Stop it! You're so irritating! It's like you turned into some womanizer the moment we walked in that door and I hate it! You've done nothing but inappropriate actions all night." She exclaimed, shoving me off and turning away.

"Where are you going?" I called, and she growled back, "Somewhere away from you!" I sighed, knowing I had been a little vulgar. I had just gotten caught up in making sure no one thought I was all soft. But I realized that acting like a jerk to Fionna wouldn't make people afraid of me. It would just make them hate me for hurting her. So, with a sigh, I went to find her. She had disappeared into the crowd and I searched everywhere, but to no avail. Maybe she had gone outside. I worked my way through the thick of the crowd, pushing back out the door and into the gardens. I knew she came here during parties if she got too claustrophobic, and as I came to her favorite spot under an apple tree, I found her. _Kissing PG under it!_

**Say it with me boys and girls: DRAMA BOMB!** **Oh and I hope that cleared up anything about Marshall being OOC… maybe it didn't. He's supposed to act differently when he's around her. That's kind of what I was going for at least. Please don't slap me for changing the shipping; I assure you I am as much of a fiolee shipper as you are. It WILL return, I promise! Read and review (and favorite and follow…) Tanks. :I**


	5. Chapter 5

**My. Laptop. Fell. In. A. Lake. **_**How do I manage these things?**_** Anyway, I was writing this chapter before my laptop went to its watery grave and now here it is I am sorry it took so long I had to get a new one -_-. RIP my Dell. Sorry and thanks for breaking me out of my lazy streak by PMing me. Read on. **

My mind felt numb. She was kissing him… but she was mine! I couldn't breathe. No, that's not true. I didn't _want_ to breathe. I wanted to pretend this was a dream. It couldn't be true, could it? But, while I wasted time contemplating breathing, she pushed him away, and I saw them yelling at each other. Did she not want to kiss him? I found myself drifting closer.

"What… what's going on?" I asked, my voice accusatory. Fionna was fuming.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." She snapped, turning on her heel. Unfortunately, in those high heels she absolutely insisted on, she staggered and started to fall. I was there, though, and caught her mid-spill underneath her arms. She groaned in frustration, slapping my hands away.

"Why are guys so irritating?" She muttered to herself, pulling the heels off and marching out of the gardens. We watched her go until she disappeared out of sight, at which point I looked at the pink prince.

"So… you kissed her." It wasn't a question, but more of an accusation. He didn't even seem frightened when he nodded, his eyes trained on the gate she had stormed out of. "Did she ask for a kiss?"

He snorted and looked at me. "Does that sound like something she'd do when she has a boyfriend? Especially a boyfriend that desperately wants to kill me already?" I sighed, shrugging. IT didn't sound like Fi, but a lot of junk had happened tonight. What did I know anymore?

"So… why'd you kiss her?" I asked nonchalantly. On the inside I wanted to rip his lungs out.

The candy prince sighed and shrugged. "I don't know," he answered, "I just thought… she looked upset… and maybe I would have a chance. I almost had her before you went spewing romantic junk her way." I thought about that for a second, sitting down against the trunk of the tree. I couldn't blame him. Fionna was an amazing girl, and I would've tried the same, if I had been in his position.

"I understand." I mumbled, and he sat down next to me. "What're we going to do, though?"

"We could just try talking to her. She's probably more upset than angry." He suggested, and I nodded. "Let's go."

I knocked on the door to the tree fort softly, my stomach churning with anxiety. After a few seconds I shrugged.

"Looks like she's not here. Maybe we should come back tomorrow. Or next week…" I watched as he rapped his fist against the door, the volume making me flinch.

"Fionna! It's us; we came to apologize!" I scratched the back of my head, a nervous habit I couldn't seem to break. Suddenly the door jerked open and Fionna stood in front of us in a pair of stretchy shorts and one of my shirts. I just stared, my tongue as useful as a fire wolf in an ocean.

"I don't care. Leave me alone." She snapped, her eyes squinting in a death glare right at me. I stared down at my shoes; bright red boots against black jeans. PG spoke up again.

"I'm sorry I kissed you, it was wrong of me to be so forward. You know if you just want to be friends that's fine with me." He offered, and she shrugged, looking away from me. I let out a huge breath I didn't know I'd been holding and managed to raise my head a few centimeters. Then her words cut me like ice.

"You said you weren't the only one who came to apologize." I looked up, right into those big blue eyes. Normally looking at them made me feel warm, like a bright blue sky on a summer day, but now they felt like ice water. I was drowning in them, unable to surface from their watery depths.

"Marshall!" I looked up and saw PG, his eyes furious. When I looked back, Fionna was gone.

"What happened?" I mumbled, not paying attention.

"You just stood there and stared at her. She asked you if you had anything to say and you said nothing, so she closed the door." He explained. I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake myself up.

"Her eyes… they were so… _cold._" I shuddered, but finally managed to come out of my haze. I looked over at the clearly miffed pink prince.

"I… I can't apologize. I can't even look at her. My brain doesn't want to work. Something… something's very, very wrong." I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. I had never felt like this before. So powerless, so clumsy, so… defeated. "I'll find a way. Just not right now. I need time."

PG shook his head. "It's your relationship, Marshall; take as long as you want. Just know that the longer you take, the smaller the chance she'll be here for you." I nodded, and he walked off. As for me, I just sat there in the grasslands for a long time, thinking. A word registered in my brain to go with the feeling. _Heartbreak_. I wasn't heartbroken! How could I be heartbroken? She hadn't done anything. But then my thoughts came clear. It wasn't heartbreak that was clouding my head and deadening my tongue. It was the fear _of_ heartbreak. I didn't want to know if she hated me. I didn't want to know if we were over. But now… now I had to know.

My fist sounded too loud on the door. Everything was too close, too… real. It was like cotton had been taken out of my ears, and out of my brain. Fionna opened the door and glared at me again.

"Come to stare at me again?" She asked harshly, and I gripped her shoulders, causing a silent gasp to escape her.

"I just need to know." Was I even speaking? I couldn't tell. I could've been screaming or whispering. The words seemed to come wrong. "Are we… I don't… over?" She pulled my hands away and they hung limply at my side as I waited for an answer.

"Marshall… I just… I want to know why you were acting like that." She whispered. A question? I hadn't been prepared for that. I was prepared for heartbreak or euphoria. Regular words, and the suspense of the final outcome, were killing me.

"I… I'm soft… around you… people think… I'm not evil… that can't… work." I stammered, and she just stared.

"Nobody thinks you're not evil because you're nice to me." I nodded, hanging my head and knowing the words about to come from her mouth. How would they come? Simple? _This isn't going to work. _Would she add an apology to it, offer to be friends? Or would she wrench out my heart and throw it away? There were four words that could do that. Funny how four little words could kill me, when nothing else could. _I don't love you._

But those weren't the words that came.

"Don't make that face." I looked up and saw that she was trying not to laugh. "You look like a baby."

My mind was reeling. "You mean…" I tried to process her reaction. "You're not breaking up with me?" She did laugh now, and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Of course not! You need to fix your act, but something like this isn't going to break us apart. You honestly care about me, and I honestly care about you. To break up because of this would just be stupid!" She explained, and my heart pumped faster as she reached up and kissed my lips.

I couldn't think… was this happening? Did she really forgive me? _She did!_ A huge grin spilled onto my lips as she broke away from our kiss. "See you tomorrow, Marshall." She said softly, pushing me back out the door and shutting it. I just stood there for a moment, catching my breath.

"YES!" I cheered, not caring if she saw or laughed. I flew up through the air, in circles and figure-eights as I made my way back to the cave. We might break up eventually, but tonight was not that night.

**Yay! Marshall saved the day and learned his lesson! Should I continue this? What do you guys think? Ugh my life. School is starting sooooo sooooooon. Homework homework homework. Anyway, I hope you guys liked, you know what to do. Tanks. :I**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry if this chapter is depressing I promise it'll get better. I've just been in a really bad mood lately and I'm tired of writing happy. So please enjoy this continuation that will lead to better things, alright? Alright. Read on.**

The next morning I was up super early, making sure to look nice for my girlfriend. Just the word elated me; _girlfriend._ I still had a girlfriend after all the crap I'd done last night. That really showed that she loved me. Well… cared about me. She'd never said she loved me, and I'd never said I loved her. I wondered if she _did _love me. Sure, people said that; it didn't mean they meant it. And Fi certainly wouldn't say it _unless_ she meant it. Would she ever say it to me? Probably not. We had a great relationship, but I was pretty sure she wouldn't ever want us to get serious.

With one last look at my hair in the mirror, I grabbed my umbrella and flew over to the tree fort, up to the window to her bedroom. When I got there, though, it was locked. What? It was _never_ locked, especially now since we were dating. Was she mad at me? Had she changed her mind? I could the blood pounding in my ears. No, that _could not_ be happening. She had hugged me, _kissed me_, last night. I knocked on the window urgently, my heart racing. There was a minute of silence, the worst minute of my life, until suddenly the curtains pulled back and a very sleepy and very irritated Fionna opened the window.

"What the crap do you need, Marshall?" She asked, and I swallowed hard. My throat was so dry.

"I guess you did change your mind… I'm sorry." I mumbled, feeling stupid. Why would she still like me?

"What are you talking about?" She asked irritably, and I looked back up. "I'm not breaking up with you; it's just really, really early."

I looked down at my watch and laughed. Eight thirty! So I didn't spend _that_ long getting ready. "Oh! Well, why was your window locked?" I asked.

She groaned. "When I get up I unlock it. With all the baddies out there you think I sleep with my window unlocked?" I laughed again and pressed my lips against hers, and spoke without thinking.

"I love you, Fionna." Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. I felt like screaming. No! I couldn't have said that! It wasn't time yet! She didn't need to know that, especially if she didn't feel the same way…

"Um… you can go back to sleep. I'll… I'll come back later." I mumbled, but she stopped me.

"Maybe… maybe you should wait a little longer. I… I need some time to… think." I couldn't breathe. A lump had formed in my throat, so I just nodded and floated back through the forest, sitting down on a stump and burying my face in my arms. That was the stupidest thing I'd ever done.

She was such a beautiful girl. With those blonde locks and ocean blue eyes, it was like looking at an angel. How could I not say it? I loved her. I _so_ loved her. And it felt like a duplicate of last night. She didn't love me. She liked me, cared about me, but we weren't in love. A hole had been punched in my chest by that thought. I felt hollow, empty, when suddenly my phone rang.

"Hello?" I couldn't get my voice to sound like I wasn't in pain.

"Marshall…" Fionna's voice answered me. Now was the moment. I'd get my answer.

"Yes?" I hated how pitiful I sounded. It was anguish that I couldn't seem to shake though.

"I… I just… I don't know… _love_… that seems like a pretty serious word…" I didn't realize I was crying until I heard myself gasp, my breath coming in gasps. She stopped, listening to my response. I was shaking, trying so hard to answer, but I couldn't. I was just done.

"Marshall… where are you?" She asked softly. I'd never tell her. She could hear me cry, but she would _not_ see it. So I hung up on her, trudging deeper into the forest where she wouldn't find me. I loved her so much it hurt. And the pain wracked through my body until I couldn't move any more. I fell on my knees, my arms wrapped around my body and my head on the ground. This was ridiculous! I couldn't hurt this much from her telling me she didn't love me. But I did. Because I think, deep down inside, I had always loved her. And it had grown into such an obsession it was like my heart was being torn out of my chest.

I heard the growling before I saw it. There was a warg, a creature that looked like a wolf, only ten times stronger and larger. Its teeth were yellow and sharp as it pulled back its lips in a snarl. It was hungry.

"Come and get me, stupid animal. I don't really care." The words surprised me when I said them, but they felt true. I really didn't care. Nothing could kill me, except sunlight. The wolf growled and advanced slowly, seeing what I'd do. I lay my head back down, closing my eyes. It howled suddenly, and I felt the ground rumble as it lunged forward. What I wasn't expecting was its cry of pain. My eyes shot open and I saw it lying on its side, a familiar crystal sword sticking out of its chest. A perfect shot that only one person could have pulled off.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" She shrieked furiously, turning me around. I just stared, looking at her in all her beauty.

"I can't die." I mumbled, shrugging like that changed things. Her arms wrapped around my neck as she pulled me close.

"Don't ever do that again. You scared me to death." She scolded, and I pushed her away.

"What do you care? You don't love me." She touched my cheek, her fingers sliding back into my hair.

"When I heard you crying… I realized I didn't want to see you in pain. I _never_ wanted to see you in pain. And I wanted you to be there with me. I realized that I did love you." She smiled a little, reaching up to kiss my cheek. I turned away from her.

"You could've said something." I murmured. It wasn't fair for her to put me through all this. It just… wasn't.

"I was going to, but you hung up on me! I tried to call you like a billion times but you wouldn't answer and I got so afraid that you were going to do something stupid like this so I started running blindly and thank god I did find you…" She trailed off, and I saw how hysteric she had been. With a smile I wrapped my arms around her, and we held each other tightly.

"I love you, Marshall." She whispered, and I pushed her away.

"No you don't. You just care about me and don't want to do stupid junk and get hurt." I could see it in her eyes, and for some reason I was okay with it.

"No, I do! I know I do." Her smile was bright and happy, but I shook my head again.

"I'm… I'm releasing you, Fi. I'm too much of a risk for you. I know you're afraid that I won't be good to settle down with. You don't know if I'm good for you. And I'm probably not, so go find you're real prince charming. Go flirt it up with PG or something. I don't know." The words hurt coming out of my throat, and she stared at me like I had just slapped her.

"Marshall… are you…?" She whispered, and I sighed.

"We're over, Fionna."

**I cried while I was writing this. I can't even handle myself anymore it's just so sad. Sorry I didn't post I was in Ohio with the family. Now don't unfollow me because of this sadness either. I will not allow it! Anyways, good day, good sirs. Tanks. :I**


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